Help for PoTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

While Tong Ren can certainly be used (but, yes, it would have to be tailored to her specifically), I’ve found acupuncture a critical part of treating POTS. I’ve certainly treated it and with good results, and I imagine that most practitioners who have been in practice for 5+ years have seen it as well. It can, however, be a bit of a lengthy process and require some ongoing intervention in some cases. So if she were to go the acupuncture route she should plan for regular treatments for at least 3 months. Ideally, she’ll see a practitioner in her area who also practices Chinese herbal medicine. Herbs may not at all be warranted in her case, but if the western diagnostic tools have found nothing, there is a chance that an herbal quotient to the process may be appropriate.

For Tong Ren, yes, generally somewhere in the vicinity of low blood pressure and tachycardia points. If you are able to physically inspect the points you can make a list of those you are finding, then simply palpate them on her and choose the ones that seem the most sensitive to her upon palpation.

Comment by Archived User

Sent this first to return address… so copied and pasted here. I love the idea of checking the points and seeing which ones are tender!
Thank you so much for your prompt response. I liked what you said as it makes sense and of course there are no one size fits all answers. She is working with a functional medicine Dr. here as well as the folks at UNC and has learned that she also has “mast cell activation syndrome” which causes “dysautonomia” (a vagal nerve thing) and the dysautonomia causes PoTS! Oh, and btw, hypermobility syndrome, GI problems, allergies and migraines also go with this. She has them all (to a greater or lesser degree). But you would never know it if you met her! She is a creative designer, a wife, a mother of two active boys, and a deeply caring person …not to mention she is highly ambitious. Personally I believe that at least part of her symptoms/episodes are caused by stress. What’s a mother to do???

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

I wouldn’t get too overwhelmed by her collection of symptoms. The major value of Chinese Medicine is treating the “root not the symptoms”. So, as practitioners, we are used to people with a wild range of symptoms/issues - but as we use the diagnostic tools of Chinese Medicine coupled with experience the root eventually starts to show and things start to progress more efficiently after that. As I stated earlier, it will be a process to undertake acupuncture, but it will yield results. Some things will improve much faster than others - but even removing half of the experienced issues will be welcomed of course, but it starts to make whatever symptoms that do stay longer more obvious as to the causes. This can even help western medicine at times by removing some of the secondary issues around the deeper imbalance.

Comment by Archived User

Dear Chad,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. What you say makes complete sense. I will pass the information to my daughter in the hope that she will try acupuncture next…
Sincerely,
B, Karas

Comment by Archived User

Please check out the work of Dr. Lonsdale at Hormones.

He has extensive research on Thiamine (B1). His understanding is that most folks are to varying levels deficient in thiamine. Supplementing with thiamine is showing promising benefits with many health issues including PoTS. I have recently begun supplementing with thiamine and have already begun to feel improvements in energy levels.

There is important explanations on how to supplement this nutrient along with what to expect as one begins to “refeed”.

Comment by Archived User

Thank you Lucy… this could be an important clue. I will look into it for myself and my daughter.
Sincerely,
Barbara

Comment by Archived User

Your welcome. And the website is Hormonesmatter.com